Official results are not yet out for the final fixture of the Suffolk Winter XC league, organised by Haverhill RC at Horseheath Racecourse on Sunday, February 15th. However, a determined performance, under very tough conditions of mud, rain and snow, gives every indication that N&S will retain 2nd position of 22 clubs in the league, which they have held for most of the season. This applies to the N&S women’s, men’s and combined women’s and men’s A teams. Winners of the league by a good margin will be Saint Edmund Pacers of Bury St Edmunds, and deservedly so. Newmarket & Sudbury (N&S) is the joint team of Newmarket Joggers (NJ) & Sudbury Joggers (SJ). The overall finishing positions of N&S runners were as follows:
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Women’s A team of 4: Isabelle Talbot Price NJ 1st F, 16th of ~241 overall; Sarah Osborne NJ 55th; Carol Cienna Carter NJ 90th; Olivia Carter NJ 91st. Men’s A team of 7: James Smith NJ 8th overall; Mark Hayward NJ 12th; Gordon Irvine NJ 31st; Paul Holley NJ 37th; Charles Jones NJ 62nd, Andrew Sandeman NJ 92nd; Richard Defries NJ 95th.
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Women’s B team of 4: Helen Hilario NJ 115th; Angela Drury NJ 193rd; Helen Wass NJ 199th, Sianie Painter NJ 227th. Men’s B team of 7: Marc Drury NJ 106th; Stephen Edwards NJ 110th; Tristram Hilborn NJ 126th; Jon Brooker NJ 133rd; Tom Elton NJ 136th; Neville Clarke NJ 150th; Rob Hawkins NJ 181st. Men’s C team (incomplete): Reuben Smith NJ 196th; Brian Munns NJ 225th; Jim Withers NJ 231st; Chris Aylmer NJ 238th.
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Above: The N&S Team at Horseheath. Front Row (crouching): Helen Wass, Sianie Painter, Rob Hawkins, Sarah Osborne,
Charles Jones. Back row (standing): Chris Aylmer, Reuben Smith, Andrew Sandeman, Brian Munns, Jon Brooker, Helen Hilario
Richard Defries, Cienna Carter, Jimmy Smith, Paul Holley, Olivia Carter, Marc Drury. Not in photo: Angela Drury,
Tristram Hilborn, Gordon Irvine, Jim Withers, Tom Elton, Neville Clarke, Mark Hayward, Isabelle Talbot Price, Stephen Edwards
and Tom Elton…all probably warming up.
Above: Runners at the ‘patio’ stove before the start and before the snow; the wintry scene after snowfall.
Above left: Tristram Hilborn going through the pond; right: Gordon Irvine & Tristram after their run.
Above: More wintry scenes near the finish. Thanks for all the photos.
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It was another remarkable performance by new member Isabelle Talbot Price, who finished 1st female runner and 16th overall in a very competitive field. She has been first senior female finisher in all four of her races since last December at Woodbridge. NJ Chair Jimmy Smith is also having a great season, in the lead of his M45 age group. Other N&S runners in the top four of their age group competitions are currently Sarah Osborne 2nd in FS, Carol Cienna Carter 2nd in F50, Helen Hilario 4th in F50, Ruth Cowlin (SJ) 1st in F60, Mark Hayward 3rd in M40, Paul Holley 1st in M55, Charles Jones =1st in M65 and Neville Clarke 2nd in M70+. There should be lots of N&S trophy winners at the awards night, hosted by Newmarket Joggers in March.
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OTHER RACES
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Also on Sunday, seven Newmarket Joggers took part in the London Winter 10K , which attracted a huge crowd of almost 20,000 participants. This event raised valuable funds for Cancer Research UK. The weather was fairly grim with rain, turning into sleet and snow but it didn’t seem to spoil the enjoyment of the runners.
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New NJ member Sally Hancock put in a terrific run to finish first Jogger home in a time of 40:24, coming an impressive 412th of 19,506 overall, 27th F of 10,957 and 21st of 4,711 in FS. She certainly has some talent for running. Next came Dan Bainbridge (50:43, 3,421st overall, 393rd of 1,073 in M35) followed by Joanne Bouttell (58:41, 3,005th F, 55th of 476 in F60), Richard Gash (1:00:07, 9,149th, 341st of 672 in M55), Sarah Kinston (1:02:38, 4,554th F, 323rd of 1,138 in F50) and Sarah Last (1:10:41, 7,510th F, 684th in F50). Last home was Jeremy Reader (1:16:57, 16,987, 743rd of 824 in M50) who was having fun supporting a female friend called Brookerz (apparently his barber).
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Above: Jeremy Reader (on right) with Brookerz at the finish; pictured with their medals.
Above from left: Sarah Kinston & Jo Bouttell before the race; Richard Gash (on left) with friend.
Above left: Sarah Last at Trafalgar Square after the race; her bib and medal on the right. Thanks for all photos.
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On Saturday, two Joggers took part in the Zig Zag Valentines Challenge multi-lap event, starting at the Suffolk Running Centre in Barrow, near Bury St Edmunds. Sarah Clarke F45 (1:02:40, 24th of 70 overall, 13th F of 52) opted for the one lap ’10K’ out & back, which was actually a quarter Marathon in distance. It was over a very hilly course with total climb of 619ft. Caroline Mcintosh F70 (3:04:43, 38th F of 42) chose the 2-lap Half Marathon option, finding the hilly course very tough.
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Above: Sarah Clarke with medal after her race; the official Zig Zag photo of the event. Thanks to Sarah and Zig Zag Running.
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Also in Valentines mood, Ian McClements took part in the Phoenix Valentines Run in St Neots, Cambridgeshire; another multi-lap event. He chose 3 x ~3.3 mile laps for a total distance of 9.8 miles (8 laps = Marathon), finishing in 2:04:30.
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TRACK & RACE WALK NEWS
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The EMAC (Eastern Masters Athletics Club) Indoor Track & Field Championships took place at the Lee Valley stadium in Edmonton, North London, on Saturday 14th February. NJ Shane McAndrew competed in the M35 400m event and achieved a new PB of 56.74s, earning an age grade of 80.19%. He is continuing to improve since concentrating on the track. NJ Elke Hausler was due to compete in the W60 3000m event but unfortunately had to pull out. Her husband Michael Hausler came second in the M65 shot put.
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Results have recently been released for the first fixture of the 2026 Enfield Race Walk League on Saturday, January 17th. This is the league in which Newmarket Joggers came top last year. Four Joggers took part. Suzanne Bailey W60 did well to clock 37:12.2 SB in the 5km Walk, earning 68.00% age grade. Rio McAndrew U15 (11:15.3 PB, age grade n/a) opted for the 2km Walk earning a new PB. Sophie Blundell U15 (18:43.9 PB, 66.91%) and Lily-Ann Cooper U15 (20:33.7 PB, 59.98%) also did very well to get PBs in the 3000m. It looks like a good start to the year for the race walking Joggers.
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Above top: Rio Mcandrew, Sophie Blundell, Lily Ann Cooper, Suzanne Bailey and coach Edson Wilkinson, with the
league winners trophy from last year. Above bottom, a scene of the race walk. Many thanks to Andrew Cooper for
photos.